Holy hamon Batman

[IanB]

All, A few months ago I acquired this blade in a local auction. Although not rusted the polish has dulled somewhat but sufficient survives to reveal a very interesting hamon. Being an armour buff at heart, my range of sword texts is rather limited and I have failed to turn up anything similar in what is available to me. The blade is ubu and mumei with a 21 1/2" nagasa with the hamon in nioi deki. I cannot see any nie anywhere (but that may be the polish). The hada appears to be a fine itame, mokume. The boshi is very obscured but looks ko-maru. The yasuri are kiri. I would be grateful for any suggestions.

Ian Bottomley

[Darcy]

Shape kind of looks Muromachi and the nakagojiri would go with Bizen.

 

The shape of the nakago though I find is a bit crude, the ha is wavy. The yasurime and finishing of the nakago are not that old. I'm not perfectly sure that it is ubu, can you see the hamon at the machi going into the nakago? Sure it comes off the edge?

 

Might have been a blade that broke in two and ended up with a new nakago.

 

The hamon reminds me in places of Ichimonji (before the flowery stuff), Kunimune, Kagemitsu, elements of all of the above but does not seem as sophisticated. I would say it is Bizen work or Bizen inspired, period unsure, some of the Sue Bizen smiths were indeed talented and liked to take shots at replicating work of other periods and schools from time to time.

 

If the nakago is original then it is probably Shinshinto I think.

[Ted Tenold]

I get the feel the blade is older than shinshinto but not quite koto either. The nakago doesn't have that short stout stubbiness koto bizen had so much of. I'd say early shinto. Bizen looking but with that boshi (which looks sugu komaru) I'd look to Shinto Bizen. Ishido favored Ichimonji styles of work, but has a whitish cast to the steel and different boshi. As Darcy pointed out, seeing if the yakiba continues through to the nakago would be helpful, but my first impression (gut feeling) is that it's ubu and the shape greatly resembles Yokoyama school style. Shinshinto Yokoyama sometimes have yakidashi that straightens out from vigorous yakiba patterns but that's more of a shinshinto thing from what I've seen and this blade doesn't appear to have that.

 

That's my opinion anyway....worth exactly what I charge for it. :-)

 

*edited for clarity*

[IanB]

Gentlemen, Thank you for your opinions. I too had lent towards Bizen but was put off by the tang shape. Yes, I think it is ubu but the lack of polish in the machi region makes it difficult to be dogmatic. What is definite is that there is no yakidashi. I have taken some measurements of the thickness across the back with a digital caliper and this suggests to me that the blade hasn't been shortened. Since the mekugi ana is punched and not drilled, I feel it is earlier than later. The yasuri are in fact quite faint in the flesh and the colour of the tang is fairly dark - the photo is a bit deceptive. My gut feeling is that it dates from the early shinto period but I stand to be corrected.

 

Ian Bottomley

[Jean]

Anyway, very good article.

 

Darcy wrote :

 

The hamon reminds me in places of Ichimonji

 

Here is an example :

 

http://www3.ocn.ne.jp/~sinogi/

 

Click on "English" then scroll down and you'll find an Ichimonji sword (undre the Sukekuni pictures)

[IanB]

Gentlemen, My sincere thanks for taking the time and trouble to give your opinions. It is much appreciated.

Ian Bottomley